Safety razor



Oct. 6, 1931. F. '.J. LEWANDO SAFETY RAZ OR Filed Nov. 18. 1930 1e se 1a Fatented Oct. A6, 1931 l UNITED `STATES `PATENT()lili'lClii FELm il'. LE'WANDO, 0F SOUTH:v BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, I .ASSIGNOR T0 GILLETTE SAFETY RAZOR COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A GORPQRATION' OF DELA.-

WARE

SAFETY RAZOR Application led November 18, 1930. Serial No. 496,451.

This clamping has heretofore been done by means of the razor handle which is screw threaded to a stud on the razor cap and any releasing adjustment of the handle has permitted a looseness at its connection with the l razor. Such adjustment is frequently made 5 slightly raway for various purposes as hereinafter pointed out and it is the primary object of my invention to provide a construction wherein the clamping means can be adjusted orreleased to any desired position without affecting the connection between the handle and razor.

When a razor of the above defined type'is clamped to its maximum position of tightness, the cutting edges of the blade are brought to a position most closely adjacent to the guard and these edges in this position have the least amount of cutting exposure. Releasing of the clampingI action against the blade permits the blade edges to move fromthe guard and thereby increase this cutting exposure. In ac cordance with my inventionthe clamping action may be released to thus Aincrease the blade edge exposure without in any manner affecting the security and rigidity of the connection between the razor and its handle. The razor is,therefore, held firmly and securely on the handle regardless of the position of this blade edge exposure adjustment. Among other improved features in the new Gillette razor is a. rust-proof blade which needs only to be rinsed after shaving, thusv eliminating the blade removing and drying operation heretofore necessary. When this blade is to be rinsed, the razor parts are released from their shaving position suiiiciently to permit the iexed blade to return to its normal plane contour and to thereby become spaced from'the guard. j

My invention is particularly applicable to the well-known Gillette type safety razor l and in accordance with one form thereof I clamp the 'blade between cap and guard members and provide independently acting means cooperating with the members for retaining them in their assembled relation wh1le permitting release of the clamping 'means and separation of the members to the blade cleansing position, the said retaining means being independently releasable for the purpose of removing and changing blades. In the preferred form of the invention the assembly retaining means and the blade clamping means are formed as parts of the razor handle and preferably on relatively telescoping parts thereof, rotation of one of said parts being adapted to clamp .the blade for shaving or release the blade for cleansing and rotation of the other part being adapted to disassemble the razor. in one aspect my invention comprises an improved razor having these novel and useful characteristics.

My invention more particularly contemplates a razor of the above defined type wherein the two relatively telescoped parts of the razor handle are provided with a thread connection therebetween and wherein these parts areso related to the capv and guard members that one part may be secured to one member for the purpose of holding the razor assembled and rotation of the other part relative thereto will perform the blade clamping and releasing operations, this latter resulting from the said thread connection between the members. The construction and assembly yof the handle parts are also preferably such that they remain in assembled relation when removed from the cap and guard.

In the accompanying drawings l have illustrated one specic` embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as delining or limiting the scope of theinvention, the claims appended hereto being relied upon for that purpose.

Referring to the figures of the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a razor embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the razorass'embled and clampedftoi the shaving position; Y

Fig. 4 is asimilar view showing the parts released for rinsing; and

Fig. 5 is a ragmentaryview of the free end of the razor handle. "y The razor illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises acap 10, a guard 12, a blade 14 therebetween, and a handle composed of two elements 16 and 18. The cap and guard are relatively located by means of a centrally disposed rib 2O on the inner face of the cap cooperating with and extending into a groove 22 in the guard. The blade is located bymeans of a centrally disposed slot which fits over this rib. The blade is flexible andnormally fiat, as in Fig. 4, and the adjacent faces of the cap and guard are of such contour as to iiex the blade to the transverse curved position shown in Fig. 3 when the cap and guard are clamped together thereonto. Extending outwardly from the blade engaging faceof the cap is a threaded stem 24. The shank portion 26 of the handle element 18 is telescoped within the handle element 16 and the inner end of the element 16 25 is adapted to thread onto the stem 24 and thereby secure the razor parts in assembled relation.

The outer element 16 comprises a relati vcly long sleeve having a solid portion 25 pressed 3 into its inner end. The inner element 18 has its shank portion 26 arranged to extend through a bushing 28 in the outer sleeve and through a bore in the portion 25, the inner 'element being thereby centrally spaced within the outer element. Cooperating threads 30 are formed preferably on the inner ends of the two handle elements whereby the outer element may by tightening rotation engage the guard and force it into the blade clamp- 40 ing position shown in Fig. 3.

The inner end of the outer element 18 is knurled and is preferably of a size substantially corresponding to or somewhat larger than the sleeve 16. Intermediate this knurled end and the reduced portion -26 may be a stepped portion 32 against which the bushing 28 engages when the sleeve 16 is in its rearmost position. Preferably integral and extending inwardly from the knurled 5 head 18 is an annular apron 34. This apron is of a size to fit over the outer end of the sleeve and its inner end is beveled toward the sleeve at 36. Graduations 38 are provided on the sleeve and a corresponding graduation mark 40 is provided on the bevel 36. The function of these graduations is hereinafter described.

It is desirable that the two handle elements 16 and 18 should remain assembled when disengaged from the cap and guard and I have provided a stop pin 42 on the. reduced portion 26 for thispurpose. This pin is adapted to engage against the bushing 28 and thereby prevent separation of these two elements. y 5 assembling the two handle elements, the

bushing is first placed on the reduced portion 26 of the inner element and against the stepped portion 32 and the pin or lug 42 is then secured to the portion 26. The elements are, therefore, assembled as shown in Fig. 2 by forcing the bushing into place by the medium of the portion 32, it being understood that the bushing is held in place by its frictional engagement within the sleeve 16.

The use and operation of the invention as illustrated is substantially as follows. In assembling the razor parts, the blade is placed on the cap and the guard on the blade in the usual and well-known manner. IVith the elements in a relative position substantially as shown in Fig. 4, the inner element is tightened firmly onto the'cap stud 24. The razor parts are thereby connected together and can be disassembled only by releasing this thread connection. To clamp the blade between the cap and guard it is only necessary to engage the threads 3() and tighten the outer handle element against the guard, this position of the parts being shown in Fig. 3. If it is desired to secure a slightly greater blade edge exposure, the outer element 16 is slightly unscrewed whereby the blade edges will move away from the guard, as illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 3, the cutting edges of the blade thereby presenting a greater shaving exposure. It will be obvious that this releasing action in no manner aiects the connection at 24 and, since the outer element is supported at 28 and 30, the handle remains firmly and securely engaged with the cap and guard. When it is desired to rinse the blade and razor, the outer handle element is fully released, as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the blade straightens to its flat shape and becomes spaced from the guard, as shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 5 I have more clearly shown the graduations 38-40. When the sleeve 16 is tightened to its maximum position against the guard, the blade edges have the least amount of cutting exposure and the zero marks at 38 and 40 are in alignment, as in Fig. 5. The graduations l, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., at 38 are so relatively spaced that each of such marks represents one one-thousandt-h of an inch of blade edge exposure. For example, unscrewing the sleeve from the position of Fig. 5 to register l with the zero at 40 will increasethe blade edge exposure one onethousandth of an inch, and further unserewing of the sleeve to register 2 with the zero mark further increases the blade edge ex- 'posure one one-thousandth of an inch, etc.

In'this manner and with this construction, substantially any desired blade edge exposure may be secured and the razor may at any time be accurately returned to such exposure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A safety razor comprising a cap and a cooperating guard adapted to hold a blade therebetween, cooperating means Aon the ad- ]acent faces of the cap and guard for relatively locating them in blade holding position, a relatively long razor handle member having a bore therethrough, an inner member extending through the bore and threaded to the cap, means providing a thread engagement between the two members whereby rotation of the outer member on the inner member may effect clamping ofthe blade by engagement of the outer member with the guard, portions of the bore being of a size to substantially fit and hold the inner member centered within the outer member, and means on the outer end of the inner member for rotating the inner member.

2. A safety razor comprising a cap and a cooperating guard adapted to hold a blade therebetween, cooperating means on -the adjacent faces of the cap and guard for relatively locating them in blade holding p'ositary adjustment of j member,

head and extending over the outer end of the tion, a relatively long razor handle member having a bore therethrough, an inner member extending through the bore and threaded to the cap, means providing a thread engagement between the two members whereby rotation of the outer member on the inner member may eifect clamping of the blade by engagement of the outer member with the guard, a knurled head on the outer end of the inner member associated with the outer member, and relatively adjacent and cooperating graduations on the two members for indicating the rotary adjustment of the outer member.

3. A safety razor comprising a cap and a cooperating guard adapted to hold a blade therebetween, cooperating means on the adjacent faces of the cap and guard for relatively locating them in blade holding position, a relatively long razor handle member having a bore therethrough, an inner member extending through the bore and releasably connected to the cap, means providing a thread engagement between the two members whereby rotation of the outer member on the inner member may eifectclamping of the blade by engagement with the guard, a knurled head on the outer end of the inner an annular apron integral with the outer member, the inner end of the apron being beveled toward the outer member, and cooperating graduations on the outer member and bevel of the apron for indicating the rothe outer member.

4. A safety razor comprisinga cap and a cooperating guard adapted 'to hold a blade therebetween, cooperating means on the adjacent faces of the cap and guard for relatively locating them in blade holding position, a relatively long razor handle member havin'g a bore therethrough, an inner member eX- tending throughthe bore and releasably connected to the eap,pmeans providing a thread engagement between the two members whereby rotation of the outer member on the inner member may effect clamping of the blade f by engagement with the guard, means at the outer end of the members for releasing the inner member from the cap, and means holding the two m'embers at all times in assembled relation.

5. A safety razor comprising a cap and a cooperating guard `adapted tohold a blade therebetween, cooperating means on the adjacent faces of the cap and guard for relatively locating them in blade holding position, a relatively long razor handle member having a bore therethrough, an inner member extending through the bore and releasabl connected to the cap, means providing a t read engagement between the two members whereby rotation of the outer member on the inner member may effect clamping of the blade by engagement with the guard, means at the outer end of the members for releasing the inner member from the cap,

means including a vbushing frictionally engaged Within the outer member for centering the inner member therein, and a lug on the inner member for holding the two members in assembled relation.

6. A safety razor comprising cap and guard members,.a ilexible blade clamped therebetween, and coextensive, concentric handle members having threaded connections whereby either may be rendered effective to engage the guard with clamping pressure.

7. A safety razor comprising a cap with a threaded stem, a guard movable thereon, concentric handle members, of which the inner is threaded upon said stem and arranged to bear against the guard, and the outer is threaded upon the inner member and also arranged to bear a ainst the guard.

ELIX J. LEWANDO. 

